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Nick Castellanos found himself in unfamiliar territory during the first pitch of the Philadelphia Phillies game against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
The Phillies outfielder was engaged in a heated exchange with Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson during the team’s 5-2 victory over the Marlins on Monday. Shortly before the start of the second game of the four-game series between the NL East division rivals, Thomson told reporters that Castellanos would be withheld from Tuesday’s starting lineup.
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Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos tosses his bat after he struck out swinging during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, July 9, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Thomson cited an “inappropriate comment” Castellanos made, which appeared to prompt the manager to sit the star right fielder for at least one game. The comment in question was made at some point after Castellanos was pulled from Monday’s contest.
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“One of the many things about Nick that I love is that he’s very emotional,” Thomson said. “He loves to play, and he loves to play every inning of every game. I just thought last night he made an inappropriate comment after he came out, and so today, he’s not going to play. And I’m going to leave it at that.”
Rob Thomson #59 and Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies speak during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Max Kepler moved from his post in centerfield to handle right field duties for Castellanos. Meanwhile, Johan Rojas became the game’s new centerfielder. Kepler started in right field on Tuesday in Miami.
Castellanos said he was less than pleased about being pulled from Monday’s game.
Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies tosses his bat after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves during Game Four of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
“I wasn’t happy about it. Spoke my mind,” Castellanos said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He said that I crossed a line. So, my punishment is I’m not playing.”
He also acknowledged that the manager has the final say on who does and doesn’t play in a particular game. “It’s his decision. He’s the manager,” Castellanos said, according to The Athletic.
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Castellanos inked a massive, five-year contract with the Phillies in 2022. The 33-year-old outfielder has a .278 batting average and has hit seven home runs in 72 games this season.
Prior to Tuesday, Castellanos hadn’t missed a game since Sept. 30, 2023.
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